The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, a recording method and a dubbing apparatus adapted for a recording medium where character data relative to programs such as audio data are also recorded together with the programs.
There are known heretofore apparatus for recording and/or reproducing audio data on and/or from a magneto-optical disc represented typically by a mini disc (MD).
On such a magneto-optical disc, there are formed a program area for recording audio data and a management area for recording table information (U-TOC: user table of contents) to manage the programs recorded in the program area.
In an MD disc system and so forth, xe2x80x9cprogramxe2x80x9d is generally termed xe2x80x9ctrackxe2x80x9d also, and audio data composed of each musical piece for example is managed as a unit program.
In a recording apparatus, inputting a title of each program is performed by a user through manipulation of a key or a jog dial provided on the casing of such a recording apparatus or an alphabet key provided on a remote controller.
For example, it is possible for the user to manipulate an alphabet key on a remote controller while dubbing audio data in a magneto-optical disc and to input characters corresponding to the program being dubbed.
In such a character input mode, a title of the relevant program being dubbed is inputted. In this case, however, there may arise a problem that the user fails to perform proper input depending on the number of characters of the input title, the kind of characters (alphabet, Kanji, Katakana, Hiragana, etc.), or playing time information of the program being dubbed.
Suppose now that the user inputs a title of each musical piece while dubbing, on an MD (mini disc), programs of musical pieces recorded on a CD (compact disc).
In this case, the user performs an operation of inputting characters while reading, during or after the dubbing, the program name or album title described on a words card or a liner note attached to the CD.
In this character input mode, the title of the musical piece being currently played (or recorded) can be inputted, but upon advance to the next musical piece, the character input mode relative to the musical piece of that title being inputted is ended, and the operation proceeds to a next-program character input mode.
Therefore, with regard to any musical piece whose playing time is merely several seconds, it is impossible to take a sufficient time for inputting a title composed of a large number of characters (a title having many spellings) or a title composed of different kinds of characters such as alphabets and numerals combintion. Consequently, the operation proceeds to a next-program character input mode during the input of the current title, so that the characters are inputted in an incomplete halfway manner.
Particularly in the above character input mode where different kinds of characters are coexistent, a relatively long time is required since an additional manipulation of switching character kind modes is needed for changing the kinds of characters.
In case the entire characters of a title fail to be inputted completely by the time of termination of playing the relevant musical piece whose title is to be inputted, it has been necessary heretofore to edit the titles after completion of dubbing the entire musical pieces.
For example, when characters of any musical piece being reproduced are inputted while such reproduction is continuously performed, the character input can be executed in a reproduction pause mode regardless of the playing time, but there exists a particular disadvantage that pause control is impossible during a recording operation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus, a recording method and a dubbing apparatus which are capable of achieving input of titles without depending on any change of program numbers during dubbing (or reproduction).
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for recording programs and program names on a recording medium having a program area to record the programs and a management area to manage the positions of the recorded programs in the program area and also to manage the program names. This apparatus comprises a character input means for inputting the program names;
a settle input manipulation means for settling the program name of one unit inputted by the character input means;
a partition code generation means for generating a partition code in response to a manipulation of the settle input manipulation means;
a storage means for storing the program name after attaching a partition code generated by the partition code generation means to a character string which represents the program name of one unit inputted by the character input means;
and a control means for extracting, from the character strings stored in the storage means, the program name corresponding to the relevant program with reference to the partition code, and updating the data in the management area of the recording medium.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of recording programs and program names on a recording medium having a program area to record the programs and a management area to manage the positions of the recorded programs in the program area and also to manage the program names. This recording method comprises steps of storing character data in response to a manipulation for inputting the character data representative of a program name;
attaching a partition code to a character string of the character data in response to a manipulation for settling the program name of one unit;
and extracting the character data of the relevant program with reference to the partition code after completion of the foregoing character data storing step and partition code attaching step executed once or plural times, and then updating the data in the management area of the recording medium.
And according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dubbing apparatus which comprises a reproducing means for reading and reproducing a program recorded on a first recording medium;
a recording means for recording the reproduced program on a second recording medium having at least a program area to record programs and a management area to manage the positions of the programs recorded in the program area and also to manage the program names;
a character input means for inputting character data representative of the program name;
a settle input manipulation means for settling the program name of one unit inputted by the character input means;
a partition code generation means for generating a partition code in response to a manipulation of the settle input manipulation means;
a storage means for storing the program name as a character string after attaching a partition code generated by the partition code generation means to the program name inputted by the character input means;
and a control means for extracting, from the character strings stored in the storage means, the character data corresponding to the relevant recorded program in the second recording medium with reference to the partition code, and then updating the data in the management area of the second recording medium.
Thus, in the present invention, input character data are partitioned per settled data and are recorded as information to manage the recording medium, so that a manipulation for inputting a desired program name can be executed regardless of recording, reproduction or any operation mode of the apparatus. Consequently, it becomes possible to continue input of program names without being affected by any change of the program being currently played in a recording or reproduction mode, hence eliminating the known disadvantage that the character input data are interrupted halfway and re-input thereof is needed over again after completion of the recording or reproduction.
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which will be given with reference to the illustrative accompanying drawings.